title: Actual usage of medical facilities by asthmatics in two French rural settings: a preliminary study.
abstract: Until recently the medical management of asthmatic patients with respect to their socio-cultural environment had only been superficially studied. Four hundred and fifty eight adult asthmatics were identified through a two-stage questionnaire in two rural districts of south west France. The study has mainly demonstrated: 1) the large number of subjects experiencing more than one attack per week (33% in Gironde, 40% in Lot et Garonne); 2) the large number of subjects feeling disabled in their occupational and day-to-day life (52% in Gironde, 54% in Lot et Garonne); 3) the absence of a relationship between the severity of the disease and the use of medical facilities in the community. Despite the frequency of the attacks and the perceived disability, 27% of the patients felt that their asthma did not require any treatment and up to 60% did not seek medical help even during an attack; 4) the role of population density, type of dwelling and social status in the management of asthma. We conclude that under-treatment is widespread in these two rural settings and is closely related with the association of at least two of these three characteristics: 1) living in a low population density area; 2) living in an isolated dwelling; and 3) being a farm owner.
authors.affiliation: Service des Maladies Respiratoires, Hôpital du Haut-Lévêque, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Bordeaux, Pessac, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taytard
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tessier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gervais
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gachie
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Douet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kombou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vergeret
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005602:France; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires